open sea

Chapter 463
Natural disasters alone are nothing, and natural disasters are no match for human wisdom.

Man-made disasters alone are not terrible, nor are fools wiser than wise people.

It is terrible when natural disasters and man-made disasters come together.

This natural and man-made disaster can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Jiajing.

In order to implement the new law, the two capitals and thirteen provinces are re-clearing the land. The new law in the north is being implemented. In the past, there were many kinds of taxes and servitude. In the case of taxes and servitude, let the government receive more taxes.

In the past, wheat was harvested for growing wheat, cloth for weaving, ore for mining, and dried fish for fishing. All kinds of people have played their hands in it, resulting in too many invalid taxes.

Just like clearing the land is to find out the land hidden by others to avoid taxation, most taxes are set in silver.

There are fewer procedures, and there are fewer chances of being corrupted, and fiscal revenue is increased by reducing invalid taxes.

But the problem is that a whip method is a southern tax, which has strong local restrictions, and is limited to silver.

People in the south use a lot of silver, because there is a lot of silver, imported by sea merchants, silver mines, and overseas, a large amount of silver is distributed in Jiangnan, Fujian and Guangzhou, and radiates from the coast to the Central Plains, but Xuanda is not included.

The people in Xuanda, Shaanxi still use a lot of copper coins.

Once the taxation method is changed, the price of silver here will be high. The first high is the exchange of copper coins for silver; the second high is the exchange of tax-paid objects for silver.

In the past, the tax payment time was right next to the big harvest, and the people had the most food at that time. The tax collection at this time is to show compassion for the people; Everyone trades grain for silver, and the price of grain is the lowest, so more grain is needed to pay the same tax.

So the tax is heavy.

It's good if you don't get a disaster, but once you get a disaster, no one can bear it.

Before Emperor Jiajing, the imperial court had money and food in Taicang, and could immediately provide relief whenever a disaster occurred.

When Emperor Longqing took over the empire, not to mention that Taicang had no money, and the Nine Frontiers couldn't pay the soldiers, what kind of disaster relief could they expect?In those years, it was all disaster relief with money and grain.

Taicang has not saved money and food, and its ability to resist risks is weak.

Moreover, Chen Mu is also to blame for this matter. Without Chen Mu, the amount of silver flowing into the court would be much less, and silver would become a tax currency later.But because of him, the amount of silver flowing directly or indirectly into Daming increased dramatically.

Compared with the inflow of silver from the people, the silver he puts into the household department every year is actually only the tip of the iceberg.

Misunderstandings caused Zhang Juzheng to pass through the middle school earlier with a whip.

All of this is gathered in one place, plus some profiteers hoarded grain during the disaster and drove up the price of grain.

The defenders from all over the country softened for a while and asked the people to gather in the three guards of Yanqing. The tens of thousands of mouths could not be supported by the three guards, and these people gathered more and more. Let alone Juyongguan, even a big city can only sit and eat.

Problems ensue.

Zhao Shizhen was working in Nanyang and lived in Zhang Juzheng's mansion for half a year. He knew more about the ins and outs of the whole whipping method. Jiang Yuelin's few words were like piercing the window paper for him, and he could see through it at a little bit.

This is not a natural disaster, just a natural disaster, it will not make the people leave their homes, let alone flee to Juyongguan with their families and want to enter Shuntian.

This is a man-made disaster that no one expected.

The problem before Zhao Shizhen was heavier than that of Jiang Yuelin. He couldn't enter Datong with a bet, and he couldn't even enter the Xuanfu.

"The disaster relief money must go to Datong. If you don't go to Datong, the disaster will be unstoppable. The victims of Juyongguan will gather more and more. Yanqingwei will always run out of food, and it will be finished..." Zhao Shizhen gritted his teeth and said solemnly: " Unbelievable."

"So let him go!"

Jiang Yuelin clapped his hands and said: "It is ordered to set up porridge sheds along the way, open the switch to release people, the road is not congested, and the disaster relief money can reach Datong, the disaster can be solved, wonderful!"

He is not trying to find a way for Zhao Shizhen, nor is he trying to find a way for the people. He is wonderful because he has finally found a reason for himself to be able to switch and let people go.

Zhao Shizhen knew it at a glance, shook his head and said: "Commander Jiang, switch the switch now, and my mission can be fulfilled. No matter how many porridge sheds along the way, they can't stop people. The people will always go to the capital. There is only one difference between refugees and bandits with ulterior motives." If you attack the capital, can Commander Jiang's head be saved?"

"Then what do you say? If you don't do anything, the people will have a civil uprising under my nose. Do you think I should suppress it or not?"

"I have a way, I don't know if it will work, but it depends on how many guards Commander Jiang can control." Zhao Shizhen looked at the people in the pass, and said: "The people must be separated, and they cannot be gathered in one place."

Jiang Yuelin was scratching his head in anxiety, "I can manage a few guards, don't look at me as the commander of Wanquan, I'm in charge of farming, and no one can manage it except Yanqing Youwei."

"Huailaiwei can talk. The center back and the left back belong to the Beijing army, but now they are just grasshoppers on a rope. It's just these four guards. Tell me what you want to do first." Jiang Yuelin shook his head in frustration, wary Looking at Zhao Shizhen, he said: "If you want Jiang to lead troops to suppress and drive out the people, there is no need to talk about it. This will lead to a civil uprising."

It's not that Jiang Yuelin underestimated Zhao Shizhen's mind, there has never been a shortage of such officials.

If dozens or hundreds of people break through the gate, that’s fine. They will be detained in Weili for a few days in prison and sent back to their hometown. This is tens of thousands of people, and it may even be 10,000+ people in a few days. The hardest one is to bury their heads with them. !

"It's just right for the people who are in charge of the farmland. I will send a letter to the elder Ge to explain the situation. I want the right to do things cheaply. I also ask Commander Jiang to send someone to send a message to each guard and each thousand households. Six counties and seven guards are disaster-stricken, and the people must be themselves. The seven guards from the six counties came here to allocate land for the people based on their origins, and to divide the people first."

"In this way, it is not difficult for each thousand households to manage thousands of people. At the same time, they will suppress food prices in various markets. This will be done by Jin Yiwei. I will discuss it in detail with the guards and officials later."

I have been with the world's number one pirate leader for a long time, Zhao Shizhen is a gentleman, but he has the spirit to act, Xi Chi pulled back his green robe sleeves and said: "The price of food that can be flattened is flattened, and there is pressure." Unyielding grain merchants are just right to be hard-headed, and when Gelao’s letter arrives, they will break down the door and open warehouses to replenish grain for disaster relief.”

"As long as there is only one such hard bone in a county, the price of grain will be immediately leveled."

"With the food, the government will be exempted from the tax, and the people who have been divided into several shares can be taken back to their original places by the banner army. After this is done, Commander Jiang will not only have to think about how to get rid of the crime, but it will be a great achievement."

Listening to Zhao Shizhen's cohesive plan, Jiang Yuelin swallowed slowly, "Then, can't it be done?"

This young official is also too courageous.

Although the law of the Ming Dynasty clearly stipulates that hoarding goods for odds requires eighty sticks, but no one dares to beat a grain merchant who dares to hoard goods with eighty sticks.

Zhao Shizhen's solution is very simple and rude. It's not that others can't think of it, but others can't do it. Besides, according to him, some people don't listen to the advice and seem to want to break down the house, but can they still command the Jinyiwei?
Zhao Shizhen ignored him, took the pen, ink, paper and inkstone from his personal backpack, and started writing letters on the parapet wall of the city gate. Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jue had to write. Of course, he did not have the ability and talent to command Zhongguan and Jinyi, but Xu Jue Have.

Coincidentally, he and Xu Jue are also familiar!

Hearing Jiang Yuelin's uncertain question, Zhao Shizhen didn't even lift his head, and said, "If it doesn't work out, then Commander Jiang will take the blame and resign himself. The worst result is this, and he won't die. "

Just as Jiang Yuelin was staring and wanted to draw his sword to kill people, Zhao Shizhen who had just finished dictating said lightly: "Enter the Guangzhou Lecture Hall, study for two years, and then go to the Nanyang Military Mansion to serve."

(End of this chapter)